A friend and I kind of RAN into each other on Sunday

So I have this pal who works at the University of Minnesota, one building away from where I work. I hardly ever see him on campus. 

But we kinda ran into each other Sunday at the Subaru Sled Dog Race at the City of Lakes Loppet. His name is Ricq and he races Samoyeds. 

The story behind the shot is that I was on my belly on the frozen ground, elbows firmly planted to steady the camera so I could get some good action shots as the teams flew by seconds after the start. The very icy and fast trail was not especially well marked, and Ricq's team (not Ricq, of course) figured going "haw" (left) looked like a great fun.  

I just kept snapping and thinking to myself, "Hmmm . . . I wonder if this is one of those times when the object in the mirror (or viewfinder) is closer that it appears?" Until I heard Ricq shout:
"LOOK OUT!"

And here are two amazing things that followed:

1. He missed me by millimeters, if that much, and
2. Nary a swear word left this man's mouth. 

Frankly, I thought I was toast, which, oddly enough, is one of the reasons I like this sport so much: the THRILL! By the time I opened my eyes, another musher friend had grabbed his leaders and redirected them back on the trail.

He finished the rest of race unscathed. So did I.

But still . . . I just didn't know there was such a thing as a musher who refrains from swearing when he or she is about to collide with a tree -- or an amateur photographer. Until Sunday.

I lived to tell the tale, and I'm here to tell you, there really are gentleman mushers!